I have designed a “Pray for Ukraine Novena Prayer Cord,” using beads in the colors of the Ukraine flag, a St. Benedict Crucifix, a St. Michael medal, and pretty silver plated components to be used to pray a novena of prayer for Ukriane. The nine beads represent a Novena of prayer. The novena can be continual. You can use whatever prayer you would like to pray on the 9 beads. I recommend praying the St. Michael prayer.
This Novena Prayer Cord will come to you with a St. Michael prayer card and a velvet gift bag. Saint Michael is the Patron Saint for Kyiv, which is the capital of Ukraine. Get the Novena Prayer Cord blessed by a priest or deacon and it will become a powerful sacramental.
The Novena Prayer Cord will also be a prayerful reminder to pray for those in need. Five dollars from every Ukraine Novena Prayer Cord sold will be donated directly to efforts to help those most in need in Ukraine and to those who have fled.
Saint Michael Prayer
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
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Coming up on Saturday, March 19, St. Joseph’s feast day is the Dynamic Women of Faith Women’s Conference. It is being held virtually. You can see additional information here to learn more and to register. I have spoken in-person at one of the Women’s Conferences and also spoke virtually during the pandemic.
Standing with some of the beautiful moms and babies (born and unborn!) at the Dynamic Women of Faith Conference.
The founder of “Dynamic Women of Faith,” Dorothy Pilarski of Toronto, Canada took time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions from me.
Donna-Marie: You have been doing this for sometime now, Dorothy. Why are you passionate about putting on these types of events?
Dorothy Pilarski: Donna-Marie, the reason I am so passionate about putting on these types of events is quite simply, because it changes lives. I remember the year my now husband proposed to me after a talk by Kimberly Hahn, at a Defending the Faith conference at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. It was a life changing and riveting experience. At that same conference I heard Dr. Alice von Hildebrand speak. Although I was raised a Catholic, (born in Poland on the same day May 18 as St. John Paul 11), I had never met women that were so rooted in their faith and spoke about it so articulately.
After attending that conference, I thought, Surely there have to be women like that in my own community! I set out to find them. Over the years, that process involved hosting Catholic events, starting http://www.DynamicWomenFaith.com and www.CatholicMomsGroup.com. Catholic women need to hear testimonies and learn about their Catholic faith. Our ministry is faith partners with the Archdiocese of Toronto under the pastoral care of His Eminence Cardinal Collins.
After years of hosting events for women, moms started approaching us saying that their daughters needed to hear these speakers, and so we introduced Calling ALL Girls. It’s been a very popular mother-daughter event. These events have also helped our ministry find Catholic Moms Group Leaders. It’s all been very exciting.
Donna-Marie: How long have you been doing this?
Dorothy: I have been hosting Catholic Moms Groups for over 25 years! Our partnership with the Archdiocese of Toronto is in our seventh year. The Dynamic Women of Faith conference is in it’s 13th year! We have ministered to thousands of women. At each of our live conferences we have given each participant a Miraculous Medal. We now have a membership community and training available for moms who want to start a Catholic Moms Group at their parish.
Donna-Marie: What have you observed in the people who attend and what have they said to you or to others?
Dorothy: Donna-Marie, you have spoken at our Dynamic Women of Faith conference. I just can’t wait to hear your talk this year!
We are thrilled to have you back a second time. You’ve also been on Midday Moms, our outreach to Catholic Moms during the pandemic. I have been a big fan of yours reading at least a dozen of your books. You see how these events and books change lives, as do the Miraculous Medals. Working in hosting these events is like planting seeds. Exposing women, like in my own case, who might have been cultural Catholics and showing them that there is more!
Donna-Marie: Yes, for sure these events are life-transforming as are the blessed sacramentals. Thank you very much for your kind words about my books and speaking, Dorothy. I am very much looking forward to speaking at this event. I pray that God will continue to bless you and your family and all those who will attend the events and all whom are touched by the ministry. God bless you!
Dorothy has graciously provided this link below to view our video chat “Wisdom for a Mother’s Heart” during her “Midday Moms” program during the pandemic. I hope you enjoy it if you get a chance to see it.
Dorothy Pilarski hopes you will register and be blessed by this amazing conference! I hope you’ll check it out. It’s reasonably priced and conveniently virtual.
To learn more about Mary’s life and to emulate her virtues, we can reflect on her life through meditating upon her 7 sorrows. Have you heard of the Seven Sorrows of Mary? In the 14th century, the Blessed Mother revealed to St. Bridget of Sweden seven promises and graces to those who prayed seven Hail Marys while meditating on the seven sorrowful events of her life.
I like to pray the seven Hail Mary’s each morning while meditating upon Mary’s Seven Sorrows. I wholeheartedly believe it’s a wonderful devotion and can help us to come closer to Mary and Jesus.
I have created this prayer cord which comes in a red velvet gift bag with a card that lists the sorrows and graces on the back. When I get the chance, I’ll come back here and list them in this blog post too.
The cord is made with love and prayer using my very strong bracelet wire, 7 red glass beads and silver plated components. The medal is a bit larger than standard medals and is carved with a lovely image of Sorrowful Mary. On the back side is the Crucifixion scene. Made in Italy. The St. Benedict Crucifix already bears a full exorcism blessing that I had put on it.
I have made a 7 Sorrows of Mary cord with knotted leather, with the men in mind. But it is suitable for women too. I make it with red leather cord (even though it might be shown in the picture as another color). You can see it here.
This meaningful cord sells for $35.99 plus shipping. Or, two for $66.99!
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Brand new! New inspiration! A Saint Joseph the Worker prayer cord specifically created with men in mind. However, it’s also suitable for women as well. For yourself or for gift giving. It has 10 knots on a leather cord. You can keep it in your pocket or purse. It could be a comfort in times of stress by simply holding it. After it is blessed, it will become a sacramental. The Saint Benedict Crucifix has been blessed already with the full exorcism blessing. It is created as a prayer cord on which one can pray on the 10 knots. One can pray a Novena using this prayer cord. The tenth knot can be used to pray a prayer of thanksgiving. It measures approximately 12 and a half inches long and comes with a red velvet bag and prayer card.
It sells for $18.95 plus shipping. Or, two for $34.95!
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Brand new! New inspiration! A Divine Mercy prayer cord specifically created with men in mind. However, it’s also suitable for women as well. For yourself or for gift giving. It consists of 10 knots on a leather cord with lovely intricately designed medals. You can keep it in your pocket or purse. It can be a comfort to you in times of stress by simply holding it. After it is blessed, it will become a sacramental. The Saint Benedict Crucifix has been blessed already with the full exorcism blessing. It is created as a prayer cord on which you can pray the Divine Mercy chaplet on the 10 knots. One can pray the five decades on the Divine Mercy chaplet using this prayer cord. It comes with a red velvet bag and prayer cards.
It sells for $18.95 plus shipping. Or, two for $34.95!
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I just designed this prayer cord with men in mind. Certainly, woman can use it too.
Brand new! New inspiration! A Seven Sorrows of Mary prayer cord specifically created with men in mind. However, it’s also suitable for women as well. For yourself or for gift giving. It consists of 7 knots on a leather cord. You can keep it in your pocket or purse. It could be a comfort in times of stress by simply holding it. After it is blessed, it is a sacramental. Note the gorgeous intricate detail on the Seven Sorrows/Ecce Homo medal and Crucifix.The Saint Benedict Crucifix has been blessed already with the full exorcism blessing. It is created as a prayer cord on which you can pray the Seven Sorrows of Mary Devotion on the 7 knots. Available in the color red as well. The reverse side of the medal shows the Holy Face of Jesus (Ecce Homo). It comes with a red velvet bag and prayer cards.
It sells for $18.95 plus shipping. Or, two for $34.95!
To receive by First Class Mail (in the U.S.), please use the payment button below:
To receive by Priority Mail (in the U.S.), please use the payment button below:
For orders outside the United States, please use payment button below:
To purchase 2 for $34.95, (in the U.S.) with First Class postage, please use payment button below:
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The month of November for Catholics is supposed to be a time to prayerfully remember the holy souls in Purgatory. These souls in Purgatory are being purified to be able to get to Heaven. Their sins were forgiven before they had died, but they had not yet done penance for their sins. After we die, we can no longer pray for ourselves. The souls in Purgatory rely on, and earnestly hope for our prayers.
On the feast of All Souls, the other day, I visited a local cemetery to pray for the holy souls. It was a grey chilly day. I parked my car and got out and made my way around the cemetery, praying and observing the many grave sites. I saw some graves of little babes, just one or a few days old and laid to rest by their loving families. I saw many very simple graves and countless ornate ones too. Each person has a story. Every person is loved by God. These souls have finished their pilgrimage on earth and many are awaiting the everlasting happiness of Heaven. We need to pray for them.
Saint Faustina’s mission to save souls
In addition to her great mission to propagate the message of Divine Mercy, St. Faustina Kowalska, a great mystic of the twentieth century had a mission to save souls. In her Diary, the young Sister Faustina recounted a profound experience she had very soon after entering Religious life which touched her to the core of her being. She had asked Jesus for whom she should pray. Our Lord told her that He would tell her on the following night. Below, you’ll see this explained in the excerpt from my book and also from the Diary.
Our friend Saint Faustina earnestly prayed for souls. Souls even visited her to ask for her fervent prayers. Often, the humble mystic knew when someone was dying and she prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet for them. All throughout her Diary, we can learn about her many encounters with the souls in need of prayer.
Purgatory: a place of suffering and transformation
Helen was very familiar with interior suffering, but now in the convent, she would also taste the cup of physical suffering. At times, she felt deeply tormented mentally and spiritually over the humiliations and pain that she experienced at the hands of some of the sisters and her superiors. The pain from these interior torments sometimes caused her to suffer physically. As Helen matured in the spiritual life, she realized the great power in redemptive suffering — in offering her suffering to God and asking Him to use it for His glory. She would later write, “Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystalized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love” (Diary, 57). She also learned she could suffer her Purgatory while on earth, and that she should work hard to help free souls from Purgatory.
A few weeks after Helen went through the interior trial of feeling tempted to leave the congregation, she became physically rundown due to a variety of things, including spiritual conflicts that weighed upon her. When Helen was at the point of exhaustion, her superior decided to send her to Skolimow, near Warsaw, to the congregation’s rented summer country home. The home was used for the sisters living in Warsaw and the girls in their charge. There, Helen would get a much-needed rest, doing only the light work of cooking for the other sisters and looking after one convalescing nun.
In Skolimow, this young postulant experienced an incredibly profound mystical vision that involved her guardian angel. Helen had asked Jesus for whom she should pray. Jesus said He would reveal it on the following night. Helen was shown the souls in Purgatory. Her guardian angel appeared and instructed her to follow him. “In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls” (Diary, 20). Later, she explained her visit to Purgatory. Though she observed the souls praying fervently, Helen was made to know that their prayers could not be of any use for themselves. They needed prayers from others to aid them. Helen asked the souls what was their greatest torment. It was their longing for God. The souls were assured that they would indeed be with God in Heaven in eternal happiness, but first, they needed to be purified.
Helen also observed that the Blessed Mother, called the “Star of the Sea” by the Holy Souls, visited them and brought them “refreshment.” No doubt Mother Mary brought great hope and comfort to the souls. Her guardian angel escorted her out of Purgatory, and she heard an interior voice, “My Mercy does not want this but justice demands it” (Diary, 20). Helen was deeply impacted by this visit, and afterwards prayed earnestly for souls. Some souls would actually visit her, seeking prayers. We will discuss this more later on …
Here’s how St. Faustina penned the experience in her Diary:
“I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames which were burning them did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in Purgatory. The souls call her ‘The Star of the Sea.’ She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard an interior voice] which said, ‘My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it.’ Since that time, I am in closer communion with the suffering souls (Diary, 20).”
Praying for the holy souls
With regard to praying for the souls in Purgatory in this month of November, Marian Father, Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC suggested, to “pay attention to what’s going on in nature, and let that consideration move your thoughts to the suffering of the souls in purgatory.”
“In other words,” he added, “as November progresses and the days become shorter and colder, as the landscape becomes barren and desolate, we can allow the somber atmosphere to gather our minds and hearts to focus on the suffering of the souls in purgatory. They also experience a kind of dark-cold barrenness and desolation that far surpasses what we endure on earth, and we should try to be mindful of their plight.”
Saint Faustina loved the holy souls so much that she asked the Lord for three special requests on the very profound day of her perpetual vows. She said, “Jesus, I know that today You will refuse me nothing.” She made her first two requests and then for her third request she said: “Jesus, I plead with You for the souls that are most in need of prayer. I plead for the dying; be merciful to them. I also beg You, Jesus, to free all souls from PURGATORY.”
I paused right there
A few days ago on the feast of All Souls, as I was meandering through the cemetery, praying for the holy souls, I came across this blank headstone. I couldn’t find a name on it anywhere. I paused and prayed right there for that person. Though, I do not know their name or anything about them, I will continue to pray for that special soul and all of the souls in Purgatory.
Please remember the holy souls in Purgatory. Try to get into a prayerful habit of praying for them in the morning and in the evening. Visit cemeteries, especially in the month of November to pray for the holy souls.
Our Lady, Star of the Sea, please help them and help us. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
[Since writing this blog post, I have since written another. It’s about adopting a Forgotten Soul and you can see it here.]
I was blessed to chat with my good friend Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers (https://www.deaconharold.com/) on his show: “Walk by Faith Wednesday Webinars with Deacon Harold.” We discussed Our Lady of Fatima and Her important messages and my book, Our Lady of Fatima: 100 Years of Stories, Prayers, and Devotions. Providentially, we discussed this on the anniversary of the “Great Miracle of the Sun” at Fatima. I hope you enjoy our visit! Please pass it along to your family and friends and please click “thumbs up” on the Youtube channel if you like it.
“Sweetie, I’m proud of you, but you’re going to have to start drinking coffee again.” These were the endearing words of a devoted husband and father one Saturday morning as he came to a realistic conclusion. His dear wife had given up coffee that week as a form of penance. Despite her best efforts, by the end of the week, the whole family was thoroughly convinced that this loving mom absolutely needed her coffee!
She admits that she got just a bit cranky. Can we blame her? Her young toddler was cutting 4 molars at once and this exhausted mom was trying her very best to cope without sleep and without coffee!
“Moms and mortifications,” as our title points out. Yet, can we actually say both in one sentence? Can busy Moms who are striving for holiness actually carry out mortifications or offer penances? It’s important to ponder.
Let’s take a quick look at the vocation of motherhood in order to accurately answer that initial question. Then, I will get into some ways in which mothers can offer and grow in holiness while heeding some amazing advice from Heaven!
Let’s dive in!
Saying, “Yes” to the miracle of human life begins a wondrous, yet mysterious journey for a woman. We simply cannot see into the future and therefore, we absolutely need to wholeheartedly trust God for His holy will. He knows what is best for our lives. And so, with a faithful heart, we move forward, amid a bit of trepidation and mystery — but always wrapped in holy prayers of hopeful surrender.
Every pregnancy is unique. Every single beautiful human life is unrepeatable.
Some of these precious babies are never placed in their loving mother’s arms. That is, because they were suddenly whisked away to Heaven through miscarriage. Countless mothers have empty and aching arms. Still, these babies’ lives were so important and are now in Heaven praying for their families.
Plenty of women experience great pain within the loss of life in another way. That is, through the often devastating cross of infertility. However, hopefully, through God’s loving grace and Mercy, at some point, they might embrace their child through the generosity of adoption.
Every mother is a hero. Whether biological or adoptive, she will sacrifice her life for her child. After all, women are gifted by God Almighty — to be receptive, to be nurturing — to love and care deeply. Once a woman becomes a mother, she no longer simply cares for herself and her husband. There is a new special little someone to love and nurture. Sleepless nights, exhausted days, and joys overflowing are a few guarantees in her new life. A mother will do anything required to protect, care for, and nurture her child.
She suddenly begins to lead a sacrificial life.
At times, she might be convinced that she can’t go on for even one more minute because of sleep lost when her baby is teething or is up at night going through a growth spurt or illness. A mother might lose her patience over the rowdy misbehavior of older children. Add to that, household routines are forever disrupted, as naps become a thing of the past, and all hands are needed on deck, and maybe even an extra pair of eyes on the back of our heads too, to protect our precious monkeys!
Some mothers endlessly daydream about taking a nap. I sure did!
Older children keep mothers on their toes and ultra attentive to the dangers of the culture. These moms are forever protecting their children from evil influences and making sure these ideologies which are contrary to their Faith do not steal into their domestic churches. In addition, moms with careful eagle eyes, watch over everything being taught, as well as who and what might be influencing her children by peddling clever lies and temptations presented in the form of “sparkly gifts,” which can yank the children from their Faith.
We can honestly say that a faithful mother can never let her guard down. No wonder mothers are so tired.
Heroic mothers are also called by God to raise His very special children. Those who require extra care. Those sweet children who are chronically ill or handicapped in some way.
I have only briefly highlighted just some of the facets and gifts in a devoted Christian mother’s life to set an important backdrop and to give encouraging affirmation to moms. I’m sure you are well aware of many more. I don’t think we will have any arguing over the fact that faithful mothers have their hands and hearts full. Theirs is a very sacrificial role.
Let’s now take a look at some comforting messages from Heaven that can speak to everyone, and especially to busy moms.
Help from Heaven
Allow me to ask the question. How can engaged (and exhausted!) mothers offer penance? Truth be told, I am ALL for offering penances and doing mortifications. I know it’s what Heaven asks for and truly needs for the conversion of sinners. In addition, the benefits in offering sacrifices are undoubtably fruitful for our own spiritual health and growth in holiness.
However, I believe that a mother in the trenches is already doing a lot of penance in simply showing up! Her love and devotion shown to her family in a myriad of ways is, as I have described earlier, most times, very sacrificial. She gives of herself, her time, her energy, and even her feminine figure to house a little bambino for nine months in the womb. Need I say more?
Because moms might be in survival mode and stretched to the limit with regard to demanding schedules and responsibilities, I want to offer a bit of help from Heaven for those mothers who are contemplating doing extra penances and offering mortifications. I want to remind them of a very important way to offer — one they might not have realized or considered.
Do you remember what the Fatima visionaries: Lucia, Francesco, and Jacinta learned from Our Lady of Fatima? Let’s begin with that. Our Blessed Mother instructed them to pray the Rosary every day for peace in the world and to offer prayers and penances for the conversion of sinners.
At the first apparition on May 13, 1917, our Holy Mother asked the children if they were willing to offer their suffering to God, as the Angel of Peace had taught them, “As an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended and of supplication for the conversion of sinners.” They immediately told her they were willing.
Later on, Lucia would say that this was the most important request of Our Lady of Fatima. That is, that we are all called to offer all of our unavoidable daily suffering as an act of reparation and conversion of sinners.
I will get back to this “unavoidable daily suffering” and how it might help the moms.
Lucia would later recount that the Angel of Peace really helped her understand the intrinsic value of sacrifice and how it is very pleasing to God. I think it’s wonderful to know that because of our offered penances and sufferings, God grants the grace of conversion of sinners.
Sinners Need Prayers
Allow me to bring up, ever so briefly, the subject of Hell for a moment. In addition to the incredible teachings from Our Lady and the Angel of Peace, Mother Mary also showed the 3 young shepherd children a most frightening vision of Hell so that they would be sure of the reality of Hell and the consequence for sin. This was so they could teach it to the world through their fervent prayers for the conversion of sinners.
You might also know that St. Faustina was shown a very gory vision of hell and testified to it in her Diary. It shook her to the core. She noticed that most of the suffering souls in Hell were ones that had not believed in its existence!
Remember, Our Lady of Fatima told the children, “Many souls go to Hell because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them.” Therefore, we know without a doubt that it is a charitable and important task to do all we can to save souls. The little innocent children stepped right up to the plate to pray the prayers that Our Lady of Fatima and the Angel of Peace had taught them and they offered penances for the conversion of sinners.
The Angel of Peace gave very clear instructions to the children with regard to offering penance. I think it’s so important to ponder his words. He said:
Offer prayers and sacrifices constantly to the Most High. Make of everything you can a sacrifice, and offer it to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners. You will thus draw down peace upon your country. I am its Angel Guardian, the Angel of Portugal. Above all, accept and bear with submission, the suffering which the Lord will send you.
Make of everything you can a sacrifice, and offer it to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners.
Angel of Peace
How does this all speak to the moms in the trenches of motherhood? I will emphasize what I believe to be a couple of indispensable things he said. “Make of everything you can a sacrifice, and offer it to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners,” he said.
That means, just what he said: EVERYTHING! Our daily duty, our sleepless nights, the little pin pricks, the challenges, the criticisms, the doubts, discouragement, contradictions, sickness, sufferings, and any little thing offered lovingly to God! It all becomes important prayers in the form of sacrifices. Yes, it is all transformed into prayer!
The Angel said, “Above all, accept and bear with submission, the suffering which the Lord will send you.” This is so important. Let us ponder it deeply in our hearts. Can we “bear with submission” all of the stuff we endure? I’m not suggesting that we should become a door mat or that we should not right a wrong. I’m talking about “the suffering the Lord will send…” That is precisely what we need to bear with submission and offer to God.
If we can keep these words from Heaven in mind and put them into practice each day, we will be on the right track. I have no doubt. Every loving offering can be powerful. The negative becomes positive! God takes our suffering and redeems it for His glory and the conversion of sinners. God is our Divine Physician and knows exactly what we need and when we need it.
Each Morning
Mothers can begin each day afresh (exhausted or not!) with an earnest Morning Offering in their own words or a formal version. We can add the beautiful “Pardon Prayer” taught by the Angel of Peace at Fatima: “O my God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee; and I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee.” This is very powerful and takes just a few brief minutes.
However, I believe that in that short time, we are beginning our day on a holy note — stepping out on the right foot — even if we’ve hit the ground running that morning. We are handing the reins over to Jesus! Our heart and soul can be earnestly and lovingly raised to God in that short morning prayer. In essence, we are telling God that we give EVERYTHING to Him in advance of our day.
A mother can offer to our Lord all of her prayers, works, sufferings and trials that might unfold that day, together with all of the amazing moments of joy, for love of God, for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as Our Lady specifically requested.
Throughout the day, any time a challenge unfolds, a mother can pray that beautiful prayer: “O Jesus, it is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”After awhile, the loving prayer swiftly ascends from our hearts and rolls off our lips. If you can’t remember the exact words, it’s okay!
Meaningful Mortifications
If you’re still hoping for a few extra ways in which to offer penance to God and don’t know quite how to carry it out, consider doing simple yet meaningful mortifications. For instance, getting up a bit earlier, taking a shorter shower or bath, not offering your opinion (when it’s not necessary), praying an extra Divine Mercy Chaplet or Rosary for sinners, giving up a dessert, a glass of wine, a beer, a cup of tea, or coffee (but maybe not ALL coffee, as we learned above!). And perhaps, not everything all at once! I think you get the idea. Little things carried out with great love and prayer are very pleasing to God.
“Little things” were also very special to the “Little Flower,” a.k.a. St. Thérèse, whose feast day is October 1. Thérèse deeply endeavored to do many small things with great love. She felt she wasn’t capable of doing great things and realized that our Lord was pleased with her little things.
Thérèse felt she wasn’t capable of doing great things and realized that our Lord was pleased with her little things.
My friend and spiritual mother, dear Mother Teresa followed in St. Thérèse’s footsteps and also preached about the little things — about doing ordinary things with extraordinary love.
As I mentioned earlier, when answering, “Yes” to the miracle of human life as a mother, we begin a wondrous and mysterious holy journey. We do not know what tomorrow will bring (or even 5 minutes from now!). We absolutely need to wholeheartedly trust God for His holy will. He knows what is best for our lives. And so, we move forward, amid a bit of trepidation — but always wrapped in holy prayers of hopeful surrender.
Sacrifices and mortifications are already woven all throughout a mother’s sacrificial life. We accept and we also surrender; according to God’s holy will. We must not forget that God sees every single bead of sweat on our brows and is fully aware of our sleepless nights, as well as any worry troubling our hearts. He is a God of great Love and Mercy.
We shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves if we are not able to offer ginormous things to God. Rather, we should strive to do everything we can with great love and we can be sure that God will be pleased. He surely knows our hearts.
My mother and me
As time rolls on, children grow up, seasons change, and many other opportunities to offer penance are presented to us. Let us offer every single little and big thing to God throughout our lives. By God’s amazing grace, He will help us lead our children and grandchildren to Heaven!
I am very excited to let you know about my upcoming book! It’s the only one of its kind–a Family Marian Consecration book! It is titled, Family Consecration To Jesus Through Mary: 33 Days of Preparation with Saint Louis Marie de Montfort. It is my labor of love for the family and will be released next month (June)!
I’ll share a snippet from the Introduction here:
…Back to those two questions I asked earlier, “How do we get to heaven?” and “How do we help our children and grandchildren to get there?” Well, I must tell you that I am deeply touched by Saint Faustina’s words. In her Diary, she explained one of her visions, in which she encountered a crowd of children about five to eleven years of age. They cried out to her, “Defend us from evil.” Saint Faustina then saw the Lord Jesus, who was distressed and told her, “You are to defend them from evil.” Saint Faustina said that from that moment she prayed for the children. She added, “But I feel that prayer alone is not enough” (765).
Helping children to be consecrated to Jesus through Mary will surely help to “defend them from evil” by greatly aiding their souls. It will be more than simply praying for them. Remember, Saint Faustina expressed that she believed that “prayer alone is not enough.” Your children’s consecrations will surely please Jesus and Mary too. It will certainly help pave the way to Heaven.
There is no better time than right now to seize the opportunity and help your family to consecrate their lives to Jesus through Mary. Your total consecration will be a perfect renewal of your baptismal vows, with Mary at your side and through her loving hands and Immaculate Heart…
And now, I will share the full cover! You can zoom in to read the back.
And here is just the front…
What do you think? I happen to think that it is gorgeous! I was just shown the cover late yesterday.
The good news is that even with the pandemic, the book is still on track for the June release. God is good! I pray that the book will aid countless families around the world!
I recently spoke at a Webinar hosted by Paraclete Press. I gave some tips on family life during the sheltering of this pandemic. I also offered spiritual tips for the family and in general too. If you weren’t able to attend, you can now watch the video at your leisure. I hope that you enjoy it and that it helps. Hang in there! God bless you!
For your family or for a family you know, I would like to suggest two of my books that will aid the family during this time of pandemic isolation. You can save by buying the two books in a bundle. Plus, maybe a special gift (which you’ll read about below).
Each book is filled with Catholic guidance, teaching, inspiration from the Saints, recipes, family activities, fun games, and much more. Surely, these books will benefit Catholic families at such a time as this worldwide pandemic.
Take advantage of the sale prices and order an autographed set for your own family and a set as a gift for a family you know.
As I am writing this blog post, I feel inspired to gift an 8 ounce Holy Water bottle to the first 5 orders!
Here are a couple of endorsements for Reclaiming Sundays:
Wow! Just, wow! Reclaiming Sundays is a must-have for any family that wants to take what they receive in word and sacrament at Mass on Sunday, and integrate a Eucharistic faith into their homes every day. Through the use of simple, practical yet powerful signs of faith and culture, Donna-Marie reminds us that God designed Sundays as sacred family time. She shows how works of mercy, arts and crafts, recipes, and celebrations can be catalysts for developing strong families that form the domestic church. This book will help parents build lasting memories in their children’s hearts, memories that they will bring into their own families one day.
Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, Author, Father Augustus Tolton: The Slave Who Became the First African-American Priest
If there were an antidote to reclaiming peace in our families and the world, Donna-Marie just wrote the book on it. Reclaiming Sundays is truly the answer to build and rebuild the domestic church.
Leah Darrow, author of The Other Side of Beauty and founder of Lux University
Here are a couple of endorsements for Feeding Your Family’s Soul:
Donna-Marie’s book is a real treasure. The family has been called the “domestic church” and it is there that we first learn about God, our prayers, and how to live our Christian life. Donna-Marie certainly offers a valuable tool, because when the family gets together for a meal, it is an appropriate time to share and teach the faith. We are reminded at a meal that we not only feed our body, but we need to feed our soul with God’s word and message.
Fr. Andrew Apostoli, C.F.R., Founding member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and Host of EWTN’s Sunday Night Prime
There is no shortage of studies showing the importance of family meal time. Add in the spiritual component of prayer and teaching the faith and you have, as Donna Marie so eloquently illustrates, a recipe for success. Follow Donna Marie’s plan and you’ll be fortifying your loved ones in their faith now and in the future.
Teresa Tomeo, Syndicated Catholic talk show Host and best selling Catholic author
You can learn more about these books here on the BOOK page of my website. You’ll also be able to purchase them at the SALE price which you’ll see right at the top of the page.
I hope that you have had a very blessed Divine Mercy Sunday yesterday. No doubt, it was an unusual one since we are in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. Nevertheless, Jesus’ promises are very real and His Mercy is available to all.
The Marian’s at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusettes put on a tremendous presentation yesterday on Divine Mercy Sunday. It aired through EWTN television. You can see the Mass here on Youtube.
When speaking to His Apostle and Secretary of Divine Mercy, St. Faustina, Jesus has always emphasized that His Mercy is especially for the most hardened sinners. Let us never hesitate to turn to God and ask for His Mercy. He is waiting.
Last September, I had the privilege of meeting up with Ralph Martin, S.T.D. in the television studio in Michigan to film two shows for his series, “The Choices We Face.”
In case you might wonder what I have over my arm, I’m carrying a priest’s alb. He had accidentally left it at the hotel and I was asked to stop by the hotel desk to get it and bring it along to the studio.
Ralph Martin is the President of “Renewal Ministries” and Director of Graduate Theology Programs in the New Evangelization at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in the Archdiocese of Detroit. I have known about Ralph for many years and finally met him a few years ago at a Catholic Leadership Conference where we both spoke. Ralph is known worldwide as a sincere and talented dynamic speaker and evangelizer. I thoroughly enjoyed our time together and feel very blessed to have been on his shows.
Before, during, and after the filming, we enjoyed fascinating conversations about Divine Mercy, St. Faustina, and my book 52 Weeks with Saint Faustina: A Year of Grace and Mercy.
Ralph also surprised me by adding another book and additional Saintly friends into the mix. You’ll see that on our shows.
I want to let you know that the first show will air tomorrow (April 21, 2020) on EWTN television. After giving you the schedule, I’ll also let you know another way in which to watch.
UPDATED to say that I heard from someone that the show aired on Boston Catholic TV today (Monday). Perhaps, it is now available in their archives.
Here’s the Schedule for EWTN
FIRST WEEK OF AIRING: The first show will air on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 at 5:00 PM ET. It will air again on Friday, April 24, 2020 at 6:30 AM ET.
The second show will air on Tuesday, April 28, 2020 at 5:00 PM and will re-air on Friday, May 1, 2020 at 6:30 AM ET.
THE SECOND WEEK OF AIRING: The first show will air on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 5:00 PM ET. It will air again on Friday, October 23, 2020 at 6:30 AM ET.
The second show will air on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 5:00 PM and will re-air on Friday, October 30, 2020 at 6:30 AM ET.
The Diary Is Not in Chronological Order
Many don’t realize that the Diary of St. Faustina is not in chronological order. It is a treasure trove of amazing wisdom on God’s Divine Mercy and contains direct teachings from Jesus Himself! However, since the order of writings is not chronological, sometimes people get a bit confused when reading it. I encourage everyone to stick with it! It will definitely help your spiritual life and growth in holiness.
As well, I want you to know that I have written 52 Weeks with Saint Faustina in a chronological order. I go through St. Faustina’s entire life and put it all into 52 topics that are relevant to the spiritual life. I researched heavily and relied only upon strictly approved sources. I wove pertinent messages from the Diary all throughout my book. The book is appropriate for the laity and religious alike.
You don’t need to start the book in January. You can start at any time of the year and read at your own pace, read straight through, or pause weekly and ponder the week’s teaching for a period of a week before moving to the next teaching.
I really believe that St. Faustina helped me to write the book! I had her relic with me all throughout the writing and asked for her intercession all throughout. I think readers might find the Preface and the Afterword interesting, for I disclosed personal sentiments and experiences.
I Feel Honored
I am humbled and blessed by the Foreword by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC.
He wrote:
Can I make a bet with you? I bet that if you take up this book and spend 52 weeks with St. Faustina, these weekly meditations will change your life. Why am I so confident about that? Because Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, a great Marian Helper, popular author, and EWTN show host, has created about as faithful and as thorough a presentation on the spirituality and the writings of St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), the Secretary and Apostle of Divine Mercy, as I’ve ever read. It’s a deep dive into the life and writings of one of the greatest mystics in the history of the Church, a religious sister who was given to us by God specifically for the times we are living in today.After all, St. Faustina died just before World War II; not in the Middle Ages; not in the time of the apostles; nothing like that. She’s a modern saint whose teachings are timeless, and who has helped bring about more miracles than most other saints. How? She shared the Divine Mercy message and devotion with the world.I’ve been preaching and practicing the Divine Mercy message and devotion for more than a decade now, especially since I joined the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. I’ve met people whose lives have been transformed by their encounter with St. Faustina in her work the Diary of Saint Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul, and with the Divine Mercy message and devotion. I’ve heard stories of miracles such as people being healed of incurable illnesses. I’ve been told about stubborn lapsed Catholics and resistant non-Christians finding their way to church, coming to the regular practice of the Sacraments, and changing their lives forever. I’ve seen how powerful it is to preach the Divine Mercy, touching hearts that all the fire and brimstone in the world could not change.So again, I challenge you to spend a year — 52 weeks — with St. Faustina. And I make this promise: If you spend time every week for the next 52 weeks doing the reading, meditating on what you learn, praying the weekly prayer, and performing the weekly works of mercy, your life will be touched by grace in ways you can’t even imagine right now.Saint Faustina changes lives. The Divine Mercy message and devotion that she was given by Jesus, a reminder and a prophetic restatement of the classical Gospel teaching on the mercy of God, changes lives.And when you’ve completed spending your year with St. Faustina, I hope you do two things. First, I hope you plan to make another 52 weeks with St. Faustina again someday. Second, I hope that you share this book with someone who you think would find it a blessing. After all, Jesus said to St. Faustina, “Souls who spread the honor of My mercy I shield through their entire life as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Savior” (Diary, 1075). Donna-Marie has certainly earned that promise from Jesus, the Divine Mercy, by writing this book. You can, too, by sharing what you read with your family, friends, and neighbors.Come spend 52 weeks with St. Faustina. Let your life, your mind, and your heart be renewed. Come meet St. Faustina, and let her lead you to a deeper relationship with Jesus, the Divine Mercy; Mary, the Mother of Mercy; and the whole Communion of Saints. May Jesus, the Divine Mercy, bless you, and may Mary, the Mother of Mercy, always keep you safely under her mantle.
–Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, “Fr. Joseph, MIC,” Director, Association of Marian Helpers, October 5, 2018, Feast of St. Faustina
In addition
I feel very honored that Ralph Martin told me on the show that 52 Weeks with Saint Faustina benefited his own life and that he felt my book was “…the best presentation in a clear, orderly way, of her spiritual teaching” that he knew of…
Ralph had also stated:
“I’m not usually keen about reading one of the 30 days or 52 weeks kind of books as I don’t usually find them going into depth enough to decently treat the saint they are focusing on. But it was different with Donna-Marie’s book. As I began to skim through it in preparation for doing a Television interview with her I realized that this book was different and I wanted to read it from cover to cover. This is the best integration of the main events of St. Faustina’s life and the best presentation in a clear, orderly way, of her spiritual teaching that I know of. I am very grateful for this book and highly recommend it.”
You can go to the Renewal Ministries website to see the shows there as well or click on the image below!
I hope that you can tune into the shows. As well, please share this post with your friends and loved ones. We all need God’s Divine Mercy. We also need to learn more about it.
Hopefully and prayerfully, Ralph’s and my visits on “The Choices We Face” will help. Jesus, I trust in YOU!
We are in the midst of praying our Novena to Divine Mercy and Divine Mercy Sunday is rapidly approaching. With most all churches closed right now due to the worldwide pandemic, how do we prepare? How can we receive the special blessings and indulgences?
I will get to that shortly.
First, I’ll share something from last year’s Divine Mercy Sunday at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusettes. I was invited to give a speech about St. Faustina and Divine Mercy to an audience of about 20,000. It was a frigid day in the Berkshires. Nevertheless, I felt unbelievably blessed to be there and to share about my friend St. Faustina, once a simple freckle-faced Polish farm girl who was called by God to tell the world about God’s unfathomable Divine Mercy.
Those of us on the stage there, where the main altar is situated were using hand warmers to prevent frostbite. I was wearing many layers, two coats, big clunky boots, and gloves and a hat. Yet, I and others were still shivering in the cold. Nonetheless, the bitter cold couldn’t deter us—God’s graces seemed just about palpable on that special day.
You can see the image of St. John Vianney in front of the podium. That is because the relic of the esteemed Saint’s heart had made its way to the Shrine at that time. It’s on that pedestal on the right. What a blessing to be so near to it and have the chance to venerate it earlier.
As Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC finished up his speech, I quickly shed one of my coats, and after I was introduced to the audience, I quickly approached the podium.
Fr. Chris Alar, MIC tells us not to be discouraged.
This year, Divine Mercy Sunday will be very different from those we have experienced in the past. However, Fr. Chris Alar, MIC tells us not to be discouraged and not to worry. He gives us concrete straightforward instructions and helps us by telling us what we can do differently this Sunday (April 19, 2020) to make it a most important day in our life n receiving the Extraordinary Promise Jesus offers us on Divine Mercy Sunday.
Fr. Chris Alar, MIC instructs:
Do these three things on Divine Mercy Sunday with the intention to turn away from sin in your life:
Make an Act of Contrition
Since you are unable to get to Confession, make an Act of Contrition, instead. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Among the penitent’s acts contrition occupies first place. Contrition is ‘sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again’” (1451).
You thereby will be completely forgiven of all sins, even “mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible” (Catechism, 1452).
Make a Spiritual Communion
Since churches are closed and you cannot receive Holy Communion, make a Spiritual Communion instead, asking God to come into your heart as if you received Him sacramentally — Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. For instance, you can say this:
Act of Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Blessed Sacrament.
I love You above all things and I desire You in my soul.
Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
As though You were already there,
I embrace You and unite myself to You;
permit not that I should ever be separated from You.
Amen.
Again, do this act of trust with the intent to return to the sacrament of Holy Communion as soon as possible.
Say a prayer like this:
Lord Jesus Christ, You promised St. Faustina that the soul that has been to Confession [I’m unable, but I made an Act of Contrition] and the soul that receives Holy Communion [I’m unable, but I made a Spiritual Communion] will receive the complete forgiveness of all sins and punishment. Please, Lord Jesus Christ, give me this grace.
But there’s much more that he has to tell us, and I encourage you to read the entire post here. As well, please watch the video below and feel free to share this blog post far and wide.
As well, please watch Fr. Alar’s video below. Please also share this post to help others to prepare for Divine Mercy Sunday.
Enjoy the video:
Watch Fr. Chris Alar, MIC.
Finally, I’d like to also tell you that Fr. Gordon MacRae, a priest prisoner
posted about my book 52 Weeks with Saint Faustina: A Year of Grace and Mercyin his blog post today: “Divine Mercy in a Global Pandemic.” You can read it here.
Yesterday, I posted about my inspiration: “Project Easter Joy.” I also posted this photo on Instagram which my husband snapped late Easter afternoon.
Well, the following day a huge tree crashed down in a storm…
…right behind this Forsythia bush. This morning, I went out to access the damage.
Thankfully, it fell far away from our house. The winds were howling up a storm yesterday, so I lit a blessed candle and said an earnest prayer. There are a few ominous dead trees close to my house. I prayed that all would be well. The winds died down immediately. I give glory to God!
As I was taking a look around this morning, a cute little bird came and perched right near me. God knows that I love birds. I think their visits are His gifts!
Pay attention to the gifts around you–large and small–God gives us reason to smile even through tough times like a pandemic, for instance!
During the Last Supper, Jesus explained to His disciples what was about to occur and then He comforted them by saying, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).
During the darkness of Holy Saturday, I felt inspired to launch a campaign for Easter JOY. We are very well aware that Easter 2020 was celebrated in a most unusual way in many households and parishes all throughout the world. No doubt, we are living in strange and difficult times. Most have said that these are indeed unprecedented times. We could not have imagined any of this. We never expected that a worldwide pandemic would ever happen to us.
Add to that, we have never before experienced a pandemic in our lives and so much has changed. Many of our everyday comforts and routines have been disrupted and suspended. These abrupt changes, which include social isolations and the lack of sacraments available to us has left many people very upset and even afraid. Some people are all alone during this time. And, it’s very unnatural to be isolated from loved ones, especially when their presence is so needed.
Now, More Than Ever
“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing” (James, 1: 2-4).
Now, more than ever, we need to cling to the promises of our Lord during this Easter season and beyond. We should continue to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and not allow the prevailing pandemic darkness to rob us of our joy!
Did you know that Easter is not just one day of celebration? It lasts for 50 days! Truly! Easter is a continuous season in which Easter is prolonged. The Church teaches, “The fifty days from the Sunday of the Resurrection to Pentecost Sunday are celebrated in joy and exultation as one feast day, indeed as one “great Sunday.” These are the days above all others in which the Alleluia is sung” (Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, 22).
I love what dear St. John Paul II has said about Easter and how we are to behave. He said, “Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”
The Holy Spirit Helps Us
Many people are not happy with what is going on right now. The pandemic is horrible. Folks are having trouble feeling peaceful or happy. Sadly, many might give in to despair. Yet, we should remember that there is a big difference between joy and happiness. Joy is not a jolt of excitement, a fleeting thing, or a mere feeling. Joy can’t be conjured up!
Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. We read in Scripture, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23 ).
Saint John Paul II expressed how much the Holy Spirit has helped him. He said:
From the time I was little, I learned to pray to the Holy Spirit. When I was 11, I was feeling sad because I was having a lot of trouble with math. My dad showed me in a little book the hymn ‘Veni Creator Spiritus,’ and he told me, ‘Pray this and you’ll see that He’ll help you to understand.’ I’ve been praying this hymn every day for more than 40 years, and I’ve seen how much the Divine Spirit helps us.
Let’s pray to the Holy Spirit often for help:
Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest,
and in our souls take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heavenly aid
to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.
O comforter, to Thee we cry,
O heavenly gift of God Most High,
O fount of life and fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.
Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known;
Thou, finger of God’s hand we own;
Thou, promise of the Father, Thou
Who dost the tongue with power imbue.
Kindle our sense from above,
and make our hearts o’erflow with love;
with patience firm and virtue high
the weakness of our flesh supply.
Far from us drive the foe we dread,
and grant us Thy peace instead;
so shall we not, with Thee for guide,
turn from the path of life aside.
Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow
the Father and the Son to know;
and Thee, through endless times confessed,
of both the eternal Spirit blest.
Now to the Father and the Son,
Who rose from death, be glory given,
with Thou, O Holy Comforter,
henceforth by all in earth and heaven.
Amen.
JOY Each Day
In almost every one of the 22 letters that dear Mother Teresa had written to me, she mentioned JOY. Today, I decided to pull one out of the notebook where I keep them, and snap a photo to include in this blog post. You will notice towards the end of the letter that Mother Teresa wrote, “Keep the joy of loving Jesus ever burning in your heart and she this joy with others.”
Mother Teresa spoke much about JOY!
That said, during this Easter season and time of pandemic when sadly many are afraid and despondent rather than joyful, I felt inspired and decided to act upon that inspiration to accentuate JOY each day of the Easter season, and hopefully beyond it too.
Since I use Instagram quite often, I will be posting an image and message of JOY each day. I plan to use hash tags with each image. I plan to use the following hashtags: #Projecteasterjoy, #Easterjoy, #Easterpeople, and #hallelujahisoursong As well, I will also post the same image and message on Facebook and Twitter. Please feel free to share and re-post, etc.
In case you are not familiar with hashtags, they are meant to help someone to find things associated with certain topics. For instance, if someone were to plug a particular hashtag into the internet, various items falling under that category would become available.
I will try my best to spread Easter JOY each day, Lord willing! You can do it too! Please use the 4 hashtags that I mentioned above. And, if you’d like, please feel free to tag me on your post. Together, we can help others!
We are the Easter People!
Remember, we are the Easter people! In the words of our dear St. John Paul II, “We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”
So, we must truly BEEaster people and spread our HALLELUJAH everywhere we go! The world needs it!
Mother Teresa reminds us, “Keep the joy of loving Jesus ever burning in your heart and share this joy with others.”
My 4 year old grandson on FaceTime the other day said, “Grandma, we can’t get together because of coronavirus.” That gave me a jolt. Wow. Not only did he say the “c” word, but he knew that this is what what’s going on. His Mom was even a bit surprised. It turned out that his Dad had explained it to him when they were washing their hands. That simple teaching helped my grandson to understand why they were washing their hands extra now, why the nursery school is closed, why he couldn’t see his friends or his Grandma.
I recently chatted on the airwaves about families and how they are coping in this pandemic. The radio host wanted me to give some tips and also to chat about my book Reclaiming Sundays. I decided to put together a list in a blog post too, to hopefully benefit families.
Reclaiming Sundays!
Anxiety…
This time of uncertainty during the pandemic can cause much anxiety. Explaining things to children in the best way that they can understand can certainly help to alleviate anxiety.
A SCHEDULE is so important
Families always need a schedule to feel grounded – to feel stability—to have a rhythm to their day—With any change in the family, I believe that it is even more important to have some sort of schedule in place. Schedules help so we don’t feel loss of control or to be OUT OF CONTROL. This is for children and adults alike.
Write your hopeful schedule on a dry erase board, or your tablet, or a piece of paper as a reminder. Hang it up and refer to it often. You don’t have to be regimented in keeping it, but you can certainly try to stick to it.
No doubt with little ones (and older ones!!) schedules need to bend a bit – people need to be flexible. We should do our best to work together, especially during this trying time.
SCHEDULE TIMES FOR:
Prayer: (we need it to survive!)
Exercise: Relieves stress, makes you feel good – keeps you healthy.
Rest: Reading (together or alone), resting, being quiet, telling stories.
Work: Yes! Chores – its a good time to start with the kids if you haven’t already. Teaches them responsibility.
Play!: Enjoy board games and your precious time together!
Cook together: Don’t worry about the mess – make memories – reach out to relatives on the phone and Face Time and get family recipes – hand them down–carry on traditions.
Check on your elderly neighbors. Do Works of Mercy! Offer a meal. The kids can make cheery cards.
Reach out: In addition to elderly neighbors, reach out to others who are anxious or alone. It’s a very difficult time and remembering others with phone calls, texts, and emails will make a huge difference for those in need of encouragement and will help your own soul too!
Limit and Schedule Screen Time: It’s important to limit screen time – and especially important to always be sure you know what they are looking at. Set a schedule for screen time so kids don’t go wild with the screen! It’s important for the adults to also refrain from too much screen time. Yes, we want to be informed, but there is such as thing as TOO MUCH news!
Eat healthy: “The Mom in me” needs to add this. This is not a time to sit around and eat Doritos. Eat healthy foods and take your supplements. I know it’s difficult to shop and get certain items but we must try our best. Healthier people have better immune systems to fight off what comes at them.
Feed their souls too!
Despite our fears…
Despite the fears that we might experience, this is a time for great HOPE! Even if we cannot get out to the structure of the church, be prayerful and holy in your domestic church at home. Set vibrant examples for the children, carve out the necessary prayer times, set parameters to ensure that life doesn’t become a free-for-all situation. Show your love and smile often! It’s contagious (in a good way!).
FAMILY PRAYER LIFE:
Prayer before and after each meal.
Family Rosary: (or at least a decade with the kids and parents can do the whole thing).
Chaplet of Divine Mercy: However you can do it with the kids – try to do at 3:00 PM (again, being mindful of the schedule helps us to have a holy rhythm to our day). Pray the Chaplet for the dying.
As well, how about starting a new prayer habit? Might I suggest the Angelus at noon? This will certainly please Our Lord and His holy Mother.
Perhaps, you’ll start a new devotion during this time stuck in the house – perhaps DEVOTION to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Cardinal Burke, the other night on EWTN Nightly News was talking about the Sacred Heart of Jesus and how it is Eucharistic – in this time of no Holy Communion for most os us – let us turn to the Heart of Jesus and His Mother’s Immaculate Heart as a REFUGE and for STRENGTH and protection. Learn about these devotions yourself as a parent or grandparent and impart it to the family.
Perhaps you’ll take up learning more about the Saints. There is a plethora of information on the Internet if you don’t have books at home. Invite the Saints to intercede for your family and every family.
Adding and Sustaining…
If you add a new prayer time, devotion, or habit, you are establishing a wonderful foundation in the children’s lives that they can turn to later on in life too.
If you keep up with your regular prayer schedule – you are reinforcing the foundation – the strength for the battle – both spiritual and in every way. You are helping to keep everyone more focused, safe, and calm during uncertain times.
Easter banners draped over the pews in our empty church
Holy Week and Easter…
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER ARE FAST APPROACHING: Even if churches are closed, along with your family, dig into this time like never before! Pray for many graces! I heard Cardinal Burke say that this is a time of GRACE!
Ask for the graces!
These are just a few tips to hopefully help your family to stay the course, to alleviate unnecessary anxiety, and to grow closer as a family and closer to God.
God bless you! I’ll try to post more soon – perhaps some recipes, crafts, and other ideas.
I hope and pray that you are well and hanging in there as best as you can during this terrible deadly pandemic. Let us keep up our many prayers, stay safe in isolation, and trust God. I have a busy writing day today, but I feel a need to pause from it for a bit so that I can write this blog post. I want to share a good dose of HOPE with you.
Yesterday was the 15th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s entrance into Eternal Life. I prayed for his intercession and went about my busy book writing day. My heart felt a bit heavy because with each passing hour, things got terribly worse in New York City where one of my children lives.
I am not an alarmist.
Trust me…
I don’t watch every single news report or get caught up in hysteria. I only get the news from what I hope to be credible sources. I consider myself a realist. On top of that, I believe that my Faith is strong and I do believe in miracles. As well, I know that we have to be smart. We can’t fool around and be stupid at a time like this. We have to stay safe and isolated and do the best that we can.
That said, the news reports were getting more and more grim as reporters told of the thousands of body bags bought and shipped to New York City for the Covid-19 deaths that were being predicted. And, it sure doesn’t make a mother’s heart feel very good hearing about the make-shift morgues consisting of the many tractor trailer trucks pulling up outside of the New York City hospitals. As you must well know, there’s so much more to this, and my point is not to dwell on the negative aspects of our current situation. We can’t live in crippling fear.
A tidbit more…
My husband’s friend showed him a video filmed by his friend who, supposedly (I take most everything with a grain of salt) filmed in the basement of a New York City hospital. The video showed many rooms overflowing with filled body bags. My husband told me about it and I questioned it. Was it “fake news”? Who knows? It could be true. So, all of the above was weighing on my mind as I went about my morning–working and praying.
A bright splash of color…
Though it was a rainy day, I decided to step outside for a moment to cut some daffodils since the vase in my foyer contained just a few lonely daffodils –waiting for some company. At that particular moment, I might not have bothered to go out in the rain to pick them. However, because I had accidentally broken a few daffodils when I raked out my flower gardens on the previous sunny day, I needed to fix that silly looking bouquet.
By the way, my arms are sore as I write this. 🙂 I haven’t raked since last year. And, I’m getting old!
Well, I’m glad that I took a moment to step outside. After picking a few more, I popped the bright yellow happy flowers into the vase and set it on my foyer table. I noticed quickly how the yellow paint on my foyer walls perfectly matched the flowers. I also recalled that I was not particularly fond of that paint color twenty years ago when I moved into this new home. I even declared at that time that I would paint it another color as soon as I had the chance. Funny thing, the yellow grew on me–I began to appreciate the bright splash of the color in the entryway and in the stairway.
The picture of the daffodils on the table of my foyer didn’t get posted on Instagram as I had planned. I had wanted to post a hopeful image at a time when the world is so worried. I never did get a chance, though. I was beckoned by my work and I got caught up in the busyness of the morning. The picture would need to wait for later…
Yellow has grown on me! If you look closely you will see something else that is special. I’ll remind you about it later…
Instead of posting the daffodils, I ended up posting this photo…
J.P. 2, we love you!
I’m holding up a special relic card of dear St. John Paul II.
So, on with the day I went, working and praying, asking God for protection and help for everyone and to please especially watch over my son in NYC. I had asked Joseph the other night if he could come home to Connecticut. I knew things would get worse and there would be a time when he couldn’t get out and would have to wait it out there–for better or worse.
But, Joseph felt he had to stay there. He didn’t want to chance infecting anyone by leaving. He wasn’t sick, but knew that there are carriers of the virus and that is one of the reasons we are all to stay home. He believed he would be okay. He said he would be careful and stay in and only go out once a week for groceries, but several times a day to take the dog out for a short walk.
Though he was staying there for now, I asked him to consider coming home and to bring his girlfriend (and her dog) and that he and his girlfriend could be quarantined for 2 weeks here before we get close to them. I’m sure you can imagine my concern that I can’t simply put him under my wing to protect him like a mother hen would. I knew that he didn’t have surgical face masks. They are impossible to buy at the moment.
So, I needed to continue to trust God and continue to pray.
A cry for help from the other side of the world…
Before everything got so bad here in the United States, a man in Hong Kong who had read one of my books and had gotten in touch with me a year or so ago, recently got back in touch again. The first time that he wrote to me was about his reading and enjoying my book, The Miraculous Medal: Stories, Prayers, and Devotions. Another time to ask for blessed Miraculous Medals though he was not yet a Catholic (but hoping to be one day).
This time around he was in touch to ask me an unexpected question. Could I possibly find surgical masks and mail them to him? He said they couldn’t purchase any and people were panicking as the Covid-19 Virus aggressively attacked. Well, it’s kind of a long story and I told about it at length in my newsletters, but I’ll TRY to keep it short right now, and give you a nutshell version.
By the grace of God, it turned out that I was able to order a large quantity of the best masks available to protect from virus and flu. Still, I wasn’t sure if my order would actually make it to my house or if I would get a notice that they were out of stock. I had heard this was happening all over. Thankfully, the masks arrived!
I had not known…
I was surprised to find out that my new friend was a doctor of a small clinic and was rapidly running out of supplies as he was treating people and exposed to illness. That was the first I heard from him that he was a doctor. He told me that he was wearing the blessed Miraculous Medal that I sent to him and praying for protection as his wife and son stayed isolated at home
He also said the government was not helping them at all to get the necessary supplies. I was so happy to help. I shipped off the package to him after saying a prayer. My new friend was so very appreciative when I told him that it was on its way to him. Yet, we didn’t know if my package would get to him– would ever make it to Hong Kong. It seemed to take forever. As well, we felt that there was the chance that it could be stolen or confiscated. Our prayers were answered–it arrived safely. Praise God.
At the time I sent the masks to my new friend, I didn’t save any for ourselves. I didn’t think that shortly thereafter, it wouldn’t be possible to purchase masks. After my purchase, the mask prices immediately skyrocketed (companies were taking advantage of the pandemic) and then it soon became completely impossible to purchase the masks because factories could not keep up with the manufacturing. We are still in that situation.
Uncertainties loomed…
I asked Joseph about the possibility of making masks out of fabric as many people are doing now. Did he have any handkerchiefs or fabric? The fabric masks won’t fully protect from the Covid-19 virus, but at least it is somewhat of a barrier. Joseph assured me that he and his girlfriend (who also lives nearby in New York) would do so. They’ll probably do this sewing by hand. I planned to pull out my sewing machine very soon…but, I wanted Joseph to have something sooner than I could make and send them. It seemed that every hour counted…
Last night as my husband and I prayed a Rosary together, we prayed for all who needed help and I asked for special protection for Joseph and his dear girlfriend. Towards the end of our Rosary, I felt as if I was struck with a lightening bolt (not literally!). I suddenly remembered that once upon a time we had a few masks in the house. It was about 3 or 4 years ago when needed for a home construction project.
I was thinking that I might have thrown the package away at some point. Or, maybe there were some left and the package was someplace tucked away SOMEWHERE! Bringing my focus back, I kept my mind and heart on finishing up the Rosary.
Well, I knew exactly what I had to do as SOON as we finished!
I didn’t say anything to my husband because I wanted to surprise him. I got right up from the Rosary and as I quickly walked to our garage, I prayed.
“Please God, show me where they are…please lead me RIGHT to them!”
I opened the door from the house to the garage and walked straight over to a box, carried it to the kitchen and opened it up.
Imagine my surprise…
Guess what was right at the top, under the flaps of the box???
TWO (not one!), but two N-95 masks! They were in a protective plastic package. I praised God and thanked Him on my knees. Then, I brought the masks to show my husband and immediately texted my son. I told him that miraculously, I found 2 N-95 masks and would send them to him the following day!
Thank you, dear St. John Paul II!
I added some “survival” food items to the package, sealed it up promptly, and my husband took the package to the Post Office this morning. But, before that package left here, I blessed it with Holy Water so that it would arrive safely to my son. We had heard reports that some New Yorkers aren’t getting their mail deliveries.
The package is in God’s hands. Please Lord…get it there safely…
God is forever showing us that He loves us very much and that He is in the very details of our lives. As well, I thank dear St. John Paul II for his intercession.
Please be assured of my prayers for you and yours.
God bless you!
Donna-Marie
PS I almost forgot to tell you! Take a look again at the photo of the daffodils. Notice the Divine Mercy image reflected in the mirror of my foyer from my front door window? The Image of Divine Mercy has been added to our front door at the encouragements of Fr. Chris Alar, MIC. He said we should “seal our doorposts”! Exodus 12!
One more thing…I posted this on Instagram today. Remember, Our Lady of Fatima requested that we pray for souls in danger of dying. Please, let us remember them continuously in our prayers.
There’s more to share, but must go for now. I am going over to an empty church with my husband to meet up with two friends to pray the Stations of the Cross. We will be on opposite sides of the aisle, keeping a social distance. I haven’t been out of the house since last Sunday when I went to the same empty church to pray.
I will be praying for you tonight. Please pray for me too. Please check on your elderly neighbors and reach out by phone, text, or email to those you know who need encouragement. These simple acts of love indeed make a huge difference in someone’s life–especially if they are anxious.
Take a listen to Teresa Tomeo and me. We chatted about the Faith and Our Lady of Fatima. You can tune in by clicking here and then scrolling to the 19.31 mark unless you want to start from the beginning of her show on Catholic Connection.
Enjoy!
There is still time to register for my pilgrimage to Fatima and Poland! Check it out! Receive 3 free Fatima books by registering soon!
